Hardcore Roleplaying: Advice/Teaching Needed

[AlduinWorldEater]

So, despite my love for role-playing games, I've never...actually...role-played.

 

I know, "WHAT!?!?!? WTF!?"

 

I just never really had a good lesson in how to RP in a video game. I used to LARP, but I've found that it just doesn't transfer over very well for me.

 

I would -really- like to try roleplaying the proper way, but I honestly just don't know how to go about it. If anyone can give me some pointers, it'd be great.

[Lachdonin]

I would -really- like to try roleplaying the proper way, but I honestly just don't know how to go about it. If anyone can give me some pointers, it'd be great.

 

I've highlighted what i feel is the problem in this question... Simply put, there IS NO proper way to role play, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Whether you get deep into the character and have them be an extension of yourself, or play in more of a cursory fashion with no real attachment or immersion, both are perfectly valid, and everything in between.

 

IF you want to role play in an immerse way, the first thing you probably want to do is decide what kind of character you want. Decide the race, the moral compass, a little bit of history and shape a basic personality around it.

 

I think the main problem people have when role playing in general is a lack of flexibility. Few people are dogmatic and unchanging, and lets face it, those people make most of us want to smash out head against the wall. Real, living, breathing people tend to change as their experiences and trials influence their outlooks, so you shouldn't be afraid to do a 180 turn on your characters personality should something life-changing happen through your game play. Role playing is mostly about creating a living character, and living characters change over time.

[Urtel]

In addition to written above

Take a paper, and write down the details, that will affect your char.

Believe me, you will need it) Every time you take a line in the dialogue, check, if it fits your list of character. Thats what i did, when tried to play different role. Was very useful for the first time, cause i always was making old-role decisions. Just in the habit)

 

And also, when you set up rules for your RP, try as much avoid breaking them, as possible. I would recommend using one save file and use it only when exiting the game.

[wynterlyn]

So, despite my love for role-playing games, I've never...actually...role-played.

 

I know, "WHAT!?!?!? WTF!?"

 

I just never really had a good lesson in how to RP in a video game. I used to LARP, but I've found that it just doesn't transfer over very well for me.

 

I would -really- like to try roleplaying the proper way, but I honestly just don't know how to go about it. If anyone can give me some pointers, it'd be great.

Well RP is basically playing from your character's point of view.

 

So your first step is giving your character some back ground or story. Its important to give your character some kind of personality. This will define all his or her future actions. Its often easier when you have some kind of structure to start of with.

 

To be honest there is no proper way to roleplay. Everyone role plays differently. Its often times what works for you and how serious you want to take it.

 

I've known people that take their RP very seriously. Like someone playing a Khajit never ventured into Whiterun during the day; they would only enter Whiterun during the nights since the nords are not very welcoming of Khajits. Or someone that sticks to having 3 meals a day and sleeping for a minimum of 7 hours.

 

Some will not have a weapon equipped inside a city or capital. Some even change their apparel from their armour into something more appealing like garments or other modded vestments.

 

The common ones are mostly no fast travelling from one place to another.

 

But the best way personally is to play the game through your character. Don't choose options or make decisions the way you would have. Do it the way your character would have. This is very personality comes into play. Is he going to be a bad guy or the good guy or the wanderer or the lone ranger, etc. Then having some kind of background story helps you too.

 

So lets say, if you have a Nord Warrior, you want to focus on the Companions. Most will stay away from the College of Winterhold or anything to do with magic. That means no use of magic.

 

I enjoy RP, but I am not a very hardcore RPer.

Edited July 31, 2013 by wynterlyn

[RatcatcherOfKvatch]

The big problem with "roleplaying as storytelling" is the plot arc is all wrong (I'm not criticizing anyone's comments in this thread in particular but laying out a general statement of a problem).

 

The Save the Cat plot formula requires setbacks, despair, a moment of personal growth or epiphany, a High Tower Surprise, and ultimately triumph. In an RPG you start weak and grow inexorably stronger as you gain experience and items, learn more about the details and minutiae of the game, and exploit the game's rules and environment to a continuously greater degree.

 

You're really more of an entrepreneur pursuing a business model than a properly-scripted character in a well-plotted story. You might get to Save the Cat, as the designers have a great deal of control over the story when it begins, but your plot is going off the rails from there pretty much guaranteed, and by the time the High Tower Surprise is sprung on you it might as well be a surprise angry hermit crab in a sandcastle for all the challenge it will pose.

 

So I can't really imagine I'm Frodo or whatever is supposed to be the classical interpretation of "roleplay". I'm thinking, "How can I survive this? How can I improve my chances of survival?" That evolves into, "Where Is my next challenge? Is there any obstacle I can't tackle?" Finally as your power becomes so great it could actually be measured in political / national terms, "Where can I do the most good? What do I want this world to look like, and what within my power can I do to make it that way?" But I'm thinking it from within the game rather than from outside of it, at least when the illusion is working.

 

"In my world we don't just let Oblivion Gates sit there and spew out Daedra. In my world we close them." That thinking kept Oblivion alive for me, that and the "Sigil Stone Speed Run" which I got darn good at, well after all challenge was erased by my character's demigodlike power. That's about as good as you can expect an RPG to get.

[AlduinWorldEater]

The big problem with "roleplaying as storytelling" is the plot arc is all wrong (I'm not criticizing anyone's comments in this thread in particular but laying out a general statement of a problem).

 

The Save the Cat plot formula requires setbacks, despair, a moment of personal growth or epiphany, a High Tower Surprise, and ultimately triumph. In an RPG you start weak and grow inexorably stronger as you gain experience and items, learn more about the details and minutiae of the game, and exploit the game's rules and environment to a continuously greater degree.

 

You're really more of an entrepreneur pursuing a business model than a properly-scripted character in a well-plotted story. You might get to Save the Cat, as the designers have a great deal of control over the story when it begins, but your plot is going off the rails from there pretty much guaranteed, and by the time the High Tower Surprise is sprung on you it might as well be a surprise angry hermit crab in a sandcastle for all the challenge it will pose.

 

So I can't really imagine I'm Frodo or whatever is supposed to be the classical interpretation of "roleplay". I'm thinking, "How can I survive this? How can I improve my chances of survival?" That evolves into, "Where Is my next challenge? Is there any obstacle I can't tackle?" Finally as your power becomes so great it could actually be measured in political / national terms, "Where can I do the most good? What do I want this world to look like, and what within my power can I do to make it that way?" But I'm thinking it from within the game rather than from outside of it, at least when the illusion is working.

 

"In my world we don't just let Oblivion Gates sit there and spew out Daedra. In my world we close them." That thinking kept Oblivion alive for me, that and the "Sigil Stone Speed Run" which I got darn good at, well after all challenge was erased by my character's demigodlike power. That's about as good as you can expect an RPG to get.

 

Ah, the Sigil Stone Speed Run...now that brings back memories.

 

I'm beginning to see the right way for me personally to go about it. I'm a freelance writer, and I've been looking for something to get me back on my feet after losing my inspiration when my first wife left me. I was initially avoiding the "fan-fiction" route, but the more I read this thread, the more I think that writing a fan-fiction is going to be the best way to get me back into writing AND role-playing.

 

That said, I'm now going to post a list of concepts I'll need to incorporate into the game, and any directions to mods that add these things will help enrich my writing that much further.

 

And, of course, all writings that ensue will find their way to the Nexus forums!

 

Okay, here's the list.

 

A way to tell the time without hitting Wait

Realistic hunger/thirst

Need for sleep

Weather affecting your character

A slower timescale (I don't remember the console command, and would rather not touch the console in a true RP)

Better encumbrance effects (I mean, why would I be able to carry ten tons of crap straight out of jail?)

Maybe a map of Skyrim that I can open from my inventory, instead of having to open the pause menu

And...lemme think...ah yeah. Disabling map-based fast travel.

[Urtel]

That said, I'm now going to post a list of concepts I'll need to incorporate into the game, and any directions to mods that add these things will help enrich my writing that much further.

 

And, of course, all writings that ensue will find their way to the Nexus forums!

 

Okay, here's the list.

 

A way to tell the time without hitting Wait

Realistic hunger/thirst

Need for sleep

Weather affecting your character

A slower timescale (I don't remember the console command, and would rather not touch the console in a true RP)

Better encumbrance effects (I mean, why would I be able to carry ten tons of crap straight out of jail?)

Maybe a map of Skyrim that I can open from my inventory, instead of having to open the pause menu

And...lemme think...ah yeah. Disabling map-based fast travel.

 

 

 

Most of the mods you gonna need are still in the top-rated files section.

The only one im not shure about is the first you mentioned. Time-telling. But i guess there is one on nexus.

I would also suggest using CCO. It brings back classes from Oblivion, which is cool.

[Roane]

With practice, you'll be able to determine the time, give or take an hour or less, by the sun. Of course, this isn't any help when/where the sun isn't visible.

 

By all means, develop a backstory for your character and flesh out the personality before beginning play. You'll find that making decisions based on your character will result in a different game. For instance, my previous character was ruthless and uncaring; no way was she fetching a family heirloom for some incompetent peasant who left it in a cave. My current character *is* an incompetent peasant with the attention span of a gnat. Very different feel to the game.

 

Character Creation Overhaul is a good idea, as it allows you to set up the character's strengths and weaknesses from the beginning.

 

Check the Immersion category on Nexus.

 

Good luck with both the writing and the roleplaying.

[Anska]

In addition to the mods you asked for above, you might be interested in the Alternate Start: Live another life mod. As the name suggests, it offers you alternate beginings which allow you to blissfully ignore the troubles and obligations of the main quest for a while, because they simply don't happen right at the start of your character's story. So you can play as a common soldier, peasant, thief, etc. for a while without having to feel the need that you should do something about those dragons.

[prod80]

You want Role Play and not the cookie cutter move forward and kick stuff dead Skyrim it normally is?

Go download this mod: Requiem http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/19281/

 

Read readme for compatibility, it's a really huge mod which changes everything, the world, NPCs, items, stats, skills, magic, perk system, alchemy, crafting, smithing, etc (it has a lot of integrated stuff - so things like Enhanced Enemy AI are not needed anymore (and actually incompatible)). It has just 1 difficulty; Insane. The whole world is deleveled. This means you can meet a level 100 opponent right from the start (which of course you have to avoid until much later). You get bigger rewards for beating down a high level char, you will get stronger eventually so you run over bandits instead of meeting a Fur armor bandit with an Iron Bow that has 5000 Health and 1-shots you while wearing heavy armor. You will need different perks into different trees to beat enemies, so no more 'everything in archery and I'll do just fine' You wont do just fine, youll be beaten to bits. You wanna face a heavy armor carrying daggers? He'll walk right over you... you gotta be joking that it would be possible to beat that guy with daggers. You wanna learn smithing, you need to have books on how it's done... you wanna learn the wildlife, read about it... You think you can eat a death bell flower and get away with it? Guess again... you get a lot of immersion just by having to make choices or needing certain things or knowledge on things to do something you wanna do.

 

Now you need to think how to defeat your enemies... what armor do they have, which weapons do they carry, what type of creature is it... how can I get this weapon type so I can beat them... what weapon type do I need anyway... what happens when I kill a lot of people as assassin, etc etc... you have to make choices and they will influence how you character will progress, and this starts already from which race you pick to play, instead of nobody giving a damn what you do in game.

 

Best thing, you can actually get drunk in game. Sit down, get hammered, beat the crap out of someone and sleep in jail. Just like real live :laugh:

 

Goodluck.